Providence Points: God Punishes People
shawn...@gmail.com
Biblical, Devotional & Informational
November, 12, 2007
Vol. 2, No. 17
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>From the editor: You may ask: "Why this topic? Why this late?"
Frankly, I wanted people's emotions to die down. (Besides: I already
wrote a three-part series on Katrina). Further, it actually dovetails
with Thanksgiving.
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"The Almighty Punishes Twin Cities"
At least this is how I think the newspaper headline would have read in
the late 1700s. Being the grandchildren of the Puritans,
Revolutionary America was collectively self-conscience of God's over-
ruling Providence. Speeches, sermons and newspapers tied the
momentous events of early America to the workings of God's inscrutable
Will: amazing victories were the "smiles of Heaven" and utter
destruction the "frowns of Providence".
These are strange sayings in the ears of Americans today-whether
Christian or not. To claim that God manifests his displeasure with
people is unpopular today but common centuries ago. The early
Americans squarely faced sin and its consequences. They had tragedies
and misfortunes, but readily recognized God's Hand behind all events.
Being reared on the Bible, they knew that bridges collapsed and towers
fell, because God was angry at sin.
They knew Luke 13:1 and Christ's admonition. Like the Twin Cities'
Bridge, the tower of Siloam fell, killing eighteen people. The Jews
upon hearing this were pleased that the tower did not fall on them,
assuming the dead were worse sinners than the living. They were wrong
of course. Christ shut their self-righteous mouths, declaring:
"Unless you repent you will likewise parish."
And that is why I believe early America would headline the Twin Cities
Tragedy, "The Almighty Punishes Twin Cities." Christ's point in Luke
13 was that everyone deserved a tower falling on his or her head. No
man, woman or child can claim that they are more righteous than
others. And yet, because this message is so little heard in America,
the news anchors and talking heads do not even think in moral
categories: they believe the collapsed bridge was a random non-moral
event. Today, sin has nothing to do with tragedy
Why is this the case? How did America move from public proclamations
about Providence to whimpering about fate? As with most problems
today, the demise of Providential thought and critical self-
examination has arisen in proportion to the demise of Gospel
preaching. If the Gospel is part and parcel of a chance universe-
whether the chance of man's decisions or random events outside of
God's control-then there is no Gospel offense. The average American
will not think in terms of God's Providence and man's sin because most
the Church no longer thinks in those terms. The reason that
Witherspoon, Washington and the founding Fathers publicly placed their
trust in the Almighty's providential care was that the churches
themselves were salt in society, boldly proclaiming that the Most High
"does according to His will in the army of heaven And among the
inhabitants of the earth. No one can restrain His hand."
If we want newspaper headlines to echo yesteryear, then we need
churches to echo the Biblical truth of God's over-ruling providence.
Then, by God's grace, we may hear news announcers report a
congressional plea for fasting and repentance; then, we may read
headlines connecting God's acts through man's tragedies. And we might
even have new newspaper headlines: "The Almighty Blesses America."
SDG